Miniature basket from Eskasoni artist goes into space with Canadian astronaut

Eskasoni artist Shanna Francis sits with a selection of the baskets that she makes, including tiny baskets and even a tea set. - Contributed

Basket in space is size of a loonie

ESKASONI, N.S. — When you see the tiny, exquisite baskets created by Shanna Francis of Eskasoni, you may be tempted to describe them as being “out of this world.”

Well, you’re right.

These are some of the miniature baskets that Eskasoni artist Shanna Francis makes and sells through her business Kisitaqn Basketry.

One of Francis’ creations has just gone into space with Canadian astronaut David Saint Jacques aboard the Soyuz MS-11 space ship that was launched into orbit at 6:31 a.m. on Monday.

Francis’ basket-into-space journey began when she was contacted by Ulnooweg Development in October 2017.

“The opportunity just kind of fell into my hands,” says Francis, 26, who had been living in Truro at the time. “I got a message through Facebook Messenger and I was like ‘is this for real?’ I kind of wasn’t sure what was going on.”

Saint Jacques had wanted to take something of the Mi’kmaq people with him into space but there was a stipulation — it had to be small.

“He said I need a really small basket and I said he was in luck — that’s all I make,” said Francis and small is a bit of an understatement.

The basket that is in space is the size of a loonie coin, yet it is an intricate, completely functional basket. Francis is one of a few remaining Mi’kmaq basketmakers who specializes in such small containers, a skill she picked up from her late father, Paul Francis.

Canadian astronaut David Saint Jacques took an eagle feather and one of Shanna Francis' miniature baskets into space.

“I started making baskets when I was seven — I kind of just picked up the habit,” she says. “My parents were separated so I went from house to house and when I would go to my father’s, he was sitting there making baskets so I thought ‘why not?’ I picked up the habit and it was a way that we bonded. He was really well-known for his miniature baskets.”

Francis sells her baskets through her business, Kisitaqn Basketry, but her talents don’t stop there. She is also an avid hunter, fisher, craftsperson, teacher and a traditional Mi’kmaq knowledge sharer. She teaches at Eskasoni High School and sees it as an ideal opportunity to share her knowledge of language and traditional stories with her students.“They’re not for me to hold in, they’re for me to share.”

Francis takes her responsibility as a knowledge sharer seriously, especially since she is one of the youngest and last remaining fluent speakers of Mi’kmaq and one of the youngest basket makers left.

“It’s pretty good in Eskasoni but I’ve been to other communities and I’ve seen the cries and I’ve seen the stress and the desperation of wanting to speak but they can’t. And that’s every reserve I’ve been to, besides my own.”

It’s the reason why she regularly goes to other communities to help revive and maintain their culture. It’s not an easy task.

“It’s hard to be out there. I had to come home and rejuvenate myself and reseed myself and re-inspire myself.

“Eskasoni is a pretty special place. I love it because it is by the water and everything you need is by the water.”